Planoorapii co



A. C. IVHLLS.

FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1|. I917.

1,319,162. Patented Oct. 21,1919. 3SHEETS-SHEETI.

A. C. MlLLS.

FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. n, 1911.

Patented Oct. 21,1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

111" Lll THE COLUMBA PLANOCIRAPH CD. WASHNGTQN, 0' C.

A. C. MILLS.

FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11. 1911.

Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- TON, D C.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANSON o. MILLS, or JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO JACKSON. FENCE COMPANY, or

JAoKsoN, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 03 MICHIGAN.

FENCEMACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

Application filed January 11, 1917. Serial No. 141,903. I

machine for producing stiff stay, staple locked wire fencing.

One of the principal objects in the con struction of the present machine is to provide means whereby the staple which is used to unite the strand and stay wires of the fence at their intersections shall be formed and driven in the same plane without neces sitating the turning of the staple on either its transverse or longitudinal axis between the forming and driving ositions, and at the same time secure the a vantage of close spacing. In the present arrangement, the staple forming devices are located in juxtaposition and permanently located in equally spaced relation; the driving elements are, however, movable, in order to change the spacing of the line wires as desired, the forming and driving mechanisms being connected by a guide, along which the staples are fed by gravity. Inasmuch as the wire on which the staples are formed is fed tothe staple forming machine from beneath, a separate wire being provided for each staple former, it will be seen that one or more of the staple formers may be disconnected without interfering in any manner with the operation of the remainder of the formers. This, therefore, provides for independence in the matter of the spacing of the line wires, as well as the control of the num ber; of such wires. It is intended thatthe machine shall be equipped with the maximum number of staple forming deviceswhich may-at any time be required, and that these devices are permanently secured in the machine, all of thedevices being actuatable'by a single reciprocating element, and? staple forming devices which are utilized being connected to the driving devices by means of an inclined guide. r

A further object is to provide staple forming mechanism which shall be simple and adaptable for rigid design, so as to reduce the probability of disarrangement or'breakage. It will be understood that in the c0nstruction of a fence such as referred to a number of staple forming devices are provided corresponding to the number of strands of wire in the fence, and that as economy in cost-of production is dependent upon practically uninterrupted operation, the disarrangement of one staple forming mechanism incr'easesthe cost of production, due to the fact that the feeding mechanism must be stopped. For this reason simplicity and ease of repair are essential.

A further object is to provide a staple forming mechanism wherein the forming and formed staples are constantly exposed, so that any defects are readily observed and corrected. V

A still further object is to provide staple formingmechanism wherein a supply-of staples is maintained in reserve behind the staple being set or driven.

The invention will be more readily understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein V Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention, the section being taken on the line 11 of Fig.3;

Fig. 2 is a' partial plan view of themachine;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 1

Fig. &is a section on the line 4- l of Fig. 3 somewhat enlarged over that shown in Fig. 1';

Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, of the staple forming device;

Fig. 6 is a plan View, partly in section, the section line being taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 7 isia section on the line 7-7 of' -e Fig; S is a view 'of'a staple such as em- P y nd i Fig. 9 is a'view of asection of completed fence;

ings, it will be seen that I provide a frame 10, within which is mounted a main driving shaft 11. An eccentric 12, provided at each end of the machine, provides means for vertically reciprocating the cross head 13, which carries a plurality of drivers, or staple setters, 14. These drivers cooperate with the die member 15, which is rigid with the bed 16 of the machine and with the die mem ber 17, which is movable with the reciprocating member 18. The line or strand wires of the fence are fed vertically upward and are indicated at 19. The stay or cross wires 20 are fed transversely of the strand wires, the two wires being joined at their intersection by means of a staple such as indicated in Fig. 3. A sample of the fence in its finished condition is inclicated in Fig. 9. The staples are supplied to the dies 15 by means of guides or slideways 21, connecting the staple forming machine 27 with the staple driving means. It will be noted, by reference to Fig. 1, that the slideways 21 are inclined horizontally and, by reference to Fig. 2, that they may be deflected laterally, as desired, to accommodate different line spacings in the fence. It will be further noted, by reference to Figs. 2 and 3, that I have provided ten staple forming machines which are permanently located in equally spaced relation, thus providing for the formation of a fence of maximum size or height. It will be understood that the top and bottom strand wires are united to the stay wires by coiling the ends of the latter about the line wires. Vv hen, however, a fence having a less number of strand wires is to be formed, only the required number of staple forming machines are placed in operation, the remainder operating idly, no wires being fed thereto for the formation of the staple.

The staple former which I prefer to employ is of novel construction and comprises a support 23 and the base 24, which is a portion of the frame of the machine. 011 the support is mounted the anvil 25, around which the wire staples are bent, the shear blade 26, ahead 27 providing a mounting for the staple former and a rack bar 28 which actuates the staple former. The rack bar 28, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is mounted in a recess in the support 23 and held in place by means of a plate 29. The teeth of the rack bar are upon the upper face thereof and engage a pinion '30 rigid with a shaft 31 mounted in the head27. the opposite end of the shaft, and mounted within a circular recess is a disk 32, best shown in Fig. 5, to one face of which disk is fixed a pin 33 having a freely rotatable sleeve 34 thereon. The pin is located near the peripheryxof the disk'and is adapted for travel through an arc of substantially 1809, then to return to its original position.

Mounted immediately beneath the disk 32 is the stationary shear blade 35. This element is mounted between adjacent walls 36, 37, of the head and is held against longitudinal displacement by means of a dowel 38. As a matter of economy, I provide a cutting edge, which, in the present instance, is in the form of an open-sided aperture 39 in both ends of the stationary shear. Located beneath the stationary shear blade, is the movable shear blade 26, which is likewise mounted upon the dowel 3S and is provided at one end with the transverse aperture 40, through which the wire passes. An aperture 41, through the support 23, and a leading tube 42 comprise the means for directing the wire to the proper point. It will be understood that the movable shear blade 26 is adapted for oscillation on the dowel, such movement being caused by contact with a lug 43 fixed to the lower edge of the rack bar-28. The shear blade 26 1s returned to and held in normal inoperative position by means of the long coil spring 44, which is seated in a recess in the support 23. A plug 45'rests upon the top of the coil spring, this element in cooperation with the plate 29 serving to confine the spring within the recess.

The anvil 25 is suitably secured to the support 23, with the upper inner end of the anvil projecting into the arc of rotation of the forming finger 33, 34. The outer end of the anvil is notched, as at 46, and. in this notch the guide 21 may be fitted.

It will be noted, by reference to Figs. 2 and'3, that while provision has been made for the maximum number of staple forming machines, yet only eight of the ten are operatively connected to the fabric forming machine. 'The line wire spacing of the fence to be woven is indicated by the location of the dies 15. The guides or slideways 21 are deflected laterally as required to connect the'staple forming machine to the staple driving guides. By this arrangement it will be seen that the staple is formed in a substantially vertical position and main tained in that position during its travel by gravity to the dies, whereuponit is driven in the same position. Not only is thisresult secured, but I am enabled to make as close spacing of. the line wires of the fence as desired without regard to the spacing of the staple forming devices.

'The means for causing the reciprocation of the rack bar which 'actuates the staple forming devices may include the crank .46, connected by means of a link 47 to the rack bar. The lever 46 is mounted on a shaft'48, which carries on its opposite end a second lever 49. Motion is imparted to thislever through the medium of the coil spring 50, carried by the cross head 13. A limited freedom of movement is permitted which allows a slight dwell in the action of the staple forming devices.

It will be noted that the dies 15 are mounted for ready adjustment in the frame member 16, a corresponding adjustment being permitted of the driver 14: in the cross head 13.

Obviously, as far as the broad disclosure is concerned, the forms of the elements may be changed without departure from the spirit of my invention. Such modifications as are within the scope of my claims I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim: r

1. In a machine for uniting the strand and stay wires of a fence, the combination of staple setting mechanisms at the junctions of said wires, staple forming mechanisms located adjacent to the setting mechanisms and positioned to form staples with their legs in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the strand wires, means for directing a staple wire to each staple forming mechanism substantially in a line with the fence strand wires, and means for conducting staples from the forming to setting mechanisms and for driving the staples with their legs in a plane substantially parallel to that in which the staples were formed.

2. In a machine for uniting strand and stay wires of a fence, the combination of staple setting mechanisms at the intersections of said wires, staple forming mechanism, guides connecting said staple forming and setting mechanisms, the mechanisms being arranged to form and set the staples in substantially parallel planes, said staple forming mechanisms being mounted in a fixed position and said setting mechanisms being mounted for adjustment to difierent strand wire spacings.

3. In a fence machine, the combination of staple forming mechanisms, staple driving mechanisms, said staple forming mechanisms being located in equally spaced relation, said driving mechanisms being spaced according to the strand wire spacing of the fence the space between said staple forming mechanisms being greater than the space between certain of the staple driving mechanisms, means for directing separate wiresto each of said staple forming mechanisms and a single operating means for all said staple forming mechanisms the staples being formed and set in substantially parallel planes, substantially as described.

4. In a fence machine, the combination of staple forming mechanisms, means for directing a separate wire to each of said forming mechanisms, said wires being directed in a line substantially parallel to the strand wires of the fence being formed, staple driving mechanism, means for adjusting said driving mechanism to correspond to the spacing of the line wires of the fence to be constructed, a guide or slideway between said forming and driving mechanisms and means for operating said forming and driving mechanisms, the arrangement being such that said staples are formed and driven in substantially parallel planes, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for uniting the strand and stay wires of a fence, the combination of a staple former and a staple setter, the strand wires of the fence being directed substantially vertical and the wires for supplying the staple formers being directed in a line substantially parallel to said strand wires, the staples being formed and set in parallel planes, and a substantially straight inclined slidebar between the forming and setting devices the staples being formed in such position as to straddle said slidebar and being delivered to the setter without change in such position, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for uniting the strand and stay wires of a fence, the combination. of staple forming and setting mechanism, the strand wires of the fence being directed in a substantially vertical line past the setting mechanism, the individual wires supplied to the staple forming mechanism being directed in a line I substantially parallel to the strand wires, said staple forming mechanism including an anvil over which the staples are bent, and a slideway which acts as a continuation of said anvil and extends in-substantially a straight line to the staple. setting mechanism, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of December, A. D. 1916.

ANSON C. MILLS. Witnesses: V

C. F. MURRAY, 1 H. O. JACOBS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

